We get pretty excited when we learn of new photographic technology, just like when machinists learn of a new tool coating or substrate material.

So we were really excited when we learned of the Mesolens Confocal Microscope being developed at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

The mesolens is capable of showing three-dimensional images within cells and tissues at the same time as showing the whole organism, something which is currently not possible with any single imaging device.

Fleas typically aren't much larger than the period at the end of this sentence.

According to Dr. Brad Amos, Visiting Scientist there:

“The information provided by microscopes is vital to this process but can take hours at a time to emerge. The confocal lens can be trained simultaneously on or inside an individual cell and the full organism, with strong resolution and will have the capacity to deliver 3D images which go far beyond the limitations of 2D representations.

“This level of detail can open up vast possibilities for discoveries which can contribute to the fight against disease worldwide.”

Dr Gail McConnell, a Reader at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, is a partner in the research. She said:

“Our research fits with Strathclyde’s ethos of technical innovation with universal impact. We already have the two-dimensional technology for the lens in place, but a third dimension will allow us to take the revolutionary step of presenting images with a range and versatility which no single imaging platform can currently offer.”

I like her thinking: “…ethos of technical innovation with universal impact.”

It reminds me of our role in the precision machining industry making human safety critical, highly engineered products with our own ‘ethos of technical innovation with universal impact.’

Welcome to our blog, Speaking of Precision. As Director of Technology and Industry Research for PMPA, I bring 38 years of hands-on experience in areas of manufacturing, quality and steelmaking. I help answer "HOW?","WITH WHAT?" and "REALLY?"